04 project scope management

Chapter 5:Chapter 5:Project Scope ManagementProject Scope Management

Information Technology Project Information Technology Project Management,Management,Fifth EditionFifth Edition

Learning Objectives Understand the elements that make good project

scope management important Explain the scope planning process and describe the

contents of a scope management plan Describe the process for developing a project scope

statement using the project charter and preliminary scope statement

Discuss the scope definition process and work involved in constructing a work breakdown structure using the analogy, top-down, bottom-up, and mind-mapping approaches

Information Technology Project Management, Fifth Edition, Copyright 20072

Learning Objectives (continued)

Explain the importance of scope verification and how it relates to scope definition and control

Understand the importance of scope control and approaches for preventing scope-related problems on information technology projects

Describe how software can assist in project scope management


What is Project Scope Management?Scope refers to all the work involved in creating

the products of the project and the processes used to create them

A deliverable is a product produced as part of a project, such as hardware or software, planning documents, or meeting minutes

Project scope management includes the processes involved in defining and controlling what is or is not included in a project


Project Scope Management Processes Scope planning: deciding how the scope will be

defined, verified, and controlled Scope definition: reviewing the project charter and

preliminary scope statement and adding more information as requirements are developed and change requests are approved

Creating the WBS: subdividing the major project deliverables into smaller, more manageable components

Scope verification: formalizing acceptance of the project scope

Scope control: controlling changes to project scope


Figure 5-1: Project Scope Management Summary


Scope Planning and the Scope Management PlanThe scope management plan is a document that

includes descriptions of how the team will prepare the project scope statement, create the WBS, verify completion of the project deliverables, and control requests for changes to the project scope

Key inputs include the project charter, preliminary scope statement, and project management plan


What Went Right?Many financial service companies use customer

relationship management (CRM) systems to improve their understanding of and responsiveness to customers

A senior management team at the Canadian money management company Dynamic Mutual Funds (DMF) launched an enterprise-wide, national program to build and manage its customer relationships

They needed a faster and more organized, highly participative approach, so they proposed a new seven-step concept called project scope design

DMF won an eCustomer World Golden Award for world-class innovation


Table 5-1: Sample Scope Management Plan


Table 5-2: Sample Project Charter


Scope Definition and theProject Scope StatementThe preliminary scope statement, project charter,

organizational process assets, and approved change requests provide a basis for creating the project scope statement

As time progresses, the scope of a project should become more clear and specific


Table 5-3: Further Defining Project Scope


Media SnapshotMany people enjoy watching television shows like Changing Rooms

or Trading Spaces, where participants have two days and $1,000 to update a room in their neighbor’s house. Since the time and cost are set, it’s the scope that has the most flexibility. Designers on these shows often have to change initial scope goals due to budget or time constraints.

Although most homeowners are very happy with work done on the show, some are obviously disappointed. Unlike most projects where the project team works closely with the customer, homeowners have little say in what gets done and cannot inspect the work along the way… What happens when the homeowners don’t like the work that’s been done? The FAQ section of tlc.com says, “Everyone on our show is told upfront that there’s a chance they won’t like the final design of the room. Each applicant signs a release acknowledging that the show is not responsible for redecorating a room that isn’t to the owner’s taste.”

Too bad you can’t get sponsors for most projects to sign a similar release form. It would make project scope management much easier!


Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)A WBS is a deliverable-oriented grouping of the

work involved in a project that defines the total scope of the project

WBS is a foundation document that provides the basis for planning and managing project schedules, costs, resources, and changes

Decomposition is subdividing project deliverables into smaller pieces

A work package is a task at the lowest level of the WBS


Figure 5-2: Sample Intranet WBSOrganized by Product


Figure 5-3: Sample Intranet WBSOrganized by Phase


Table 5-4: Intranet WBS in Tabular Form

1.0 Concept1.1 Evaluate current systems1.2 Define Requirements

1.2.1 Define user requirements1.2.2 Define content requirements1.2.3 Define system requirements1.2.4 Define server owner requirements

1.3 Define specific functionality1.4 Define risks and risk management approach1.5 Develop project plan1.6 Brief Web development team

2.0 Web Site Design3.0 Web Site Development4.0 Roll Out5.0 Support


Figure 5-4: Intranet WBS and Gantt Chart in Microsoft Project


Figure 5-5: Intranet Gantt Chart Organized by Project Management Process Groups


Table 5-5: Executing Tasks for JWD Consulting’s WBS


Approaches to Developing WBSsUsing guidelines: some organizations, like the

DOD, provide guidelines for preparing WBSsThe analogy approach: review WBSs of similar

projects and tailor to your projectThe top-down approach: start with the largest

items of the project and break them downThe bottom-up approach: start with the specific

tasks and roll them upMind-mapping approach: mind mapping is a

technique that uses branches radiating out from a core idea to structure thoughts and ideas


Figure 5-6: Sample Mind-Mapping Approach for Creating a WBS


Figure 5-7: Resulting WBS in Chart Form


The WBS Dictionary and Scope BaselineMany WBS tasks are vague and must be

explained more so people know what to do and can estimate how long it will take and what it will cost to do the work

A WBS dictionary is a document that describes detailed information about each WBS item

The approved project scope statement and its WBS and WBS dictionary form the scope baseline, which is used to measure performance in meeting project scope goals


Advice for Creating a WBS and WBS Dictionary*A unit of work should appear at only one place in

the WBSThe work content of a WBS item is the sum of the

WBS items below itA WBS item is the responsibility of only one

individual, even though many people may be working on it

The WBS must be consistent with the way in which work is actually going to be performed; it should serve the project team first, and other purposes only if practical

*Cleland, David I. Project Management: Strategic Design and Implementation, 1994


Advice for Creating a WBS and WBS Dictionary (continued)*Project team members should be involved in

developing the WBS to ensure consistency and buy-in

Each WBS item must be documented in a WBS dictionary to ensure accurate understanding of the scope of work included and not included in that item

The WBS must be a flexible tool to accommodate inevitable changes while properly maintaining control of the work content in the project according to the scope statement


*Cleland, David I. Project Management: Strategic Design and Implementation, 1994

What Went Wrong?A project scope that is too broad and grandiose

can cause severe problemsScope creep and an overemphasis on technology for

technology’s sake resulted in the bankruptcy of a large pharmaceutical firm, Texas-based FoxMeyer Drug

In 2001, McDonald’s fast-food chain initiated a project to create an intranet that would connect its headquarters with all of its restaurants to provide detailed operational information in real time; after spending $170 million on consultants and initial implementation planning, McDonald’s realized that the project was too much to handle and terminated it


Scope VerificationIt is very difficult to create a good scope statement

and WBS for a projectIt is even more difficult to verify project scope and

minimize scope changesScope verification involves formal acceptance of

the completed project scope by the stakeholdersAcceptance is often achieved by a customer

inspection and then sign-off on key deliverables


Scope ControlScope control involves controlling changes to

the project scopeGoals of scope control are to:

Influence the factors that cause scope changesAssure changes are processed according to

procedures developed as part of integrated change control

Manage changes when they occurVariance is the difference between planned and

actual performance


Best Practices for Avoiding Scope Problems1. Keep the scope realistic: Don’t make projects so large that

they can’t be completed; break large projects down into a series of smaller ones

2. Involve users in project scope management: Assign key users to the project team and give them ownership of requirements definition and scope verification

3. Use off-the-shelf hardware and software whenever possible: Many IT people enjoy using the latest and greatest technology, but business needs, not technology trends, must take priority

4. Follow good project management processes: As described in this chapter and others, there are well-defined processes for managing project scope and others aspects of projects


Suggestions for Improving User Input

Develop a good project selection process and insist that sponsors are from the user organization

Have users on the project team in important rolesHave regular meetings with defined agendas, and

have users sign off on key deliverables presented at meetings

Deliver something to users and sponsors on a regular basis

Don’t promise to deliver when you know you can’tCo-locate users with developers


Suggestions for Reducing Incomplete and Changing RequirementsDevelop and follow a requirements management

processUse techniques such as prototyping, use case

modeling, and JAD to get more user involvementPut requirements in writing and keep them currentCreate a requirements management database for

documenting and controlling requirements


Suggestions for Reducing Incomplete and Changing Requirements (continued)Provide adequate testing and conduct testing

throughout the project life cycleReview changes from a systems perspectiveEmphasize completion dates to help focus on

what’s most importantAllocate resources specifically for handling

change requests/enhancements like NWA did with ResNet


Using Software to Assist in Project Scope ManagementWord-processing software helps create several

scope-related documentsSpreadsheets help to perform financial

calculations and weighed scoring models, and develop charts and graphs

Communication software like e-mail and the Web help clarify and communicate scope information

Project management software helps in creating a WBS, the basis for tasks on a Gantt chart

Specialized software is available to assist in project scope management


Chapter SummaryProject scope management includes the processes

required to ensure that the project addresses all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully

Main processes include:Scope planningScope definitionCreating the WBSScope verificationScope control
